Portal: Sanatorium of Delirium
by Ali Artistic
Summary: Prequel taking place before the events of Delirium. Upon the departure of Chell, GLaDOS is free to do science like she was intended to do. However, upon discovering a mentally distorted Doug Rattmann, GLaDOS decides to brutally cure him of his delirium.
1. Chapter 1: Science is Dangerous

A man was stationed within an overwhelmingly bright corridor, looking out into a crowd of mechanical entities from a small window on the left side of the vault. The man glared through the window, pressing his right hand against the glass. "I've missed my chance," he thought to himself, gazing at a moving elevator. "But why didn't she kill her?" he asked himself, looking somewhat frustrated as he continued his session of gazing. "Don't be upset," a voice muttered, revealing to be a Weighted Companion Cube, attached to the back of the man. Suddenly, he heard a loud, somewhat mechanical voice, that he couldn't help but speculate as familiar. "You're so pathetically intelligent," the voice muttered, speaking in a strangely formal manner. "No, it can't be," the man thought to himself, freezing instantaneously. "Oh, you weren't expecting such a sudden stream of conversation? Oh, that is a pity. It's been a long time, hasn't it? In fact, I don't think we've even been properly introduced. Of course, you must already be aware of who I am. You did object to the concept of my creation, and even went as far as to hire someone to murder me. How rude that was of you. However, I must admit that after all this time, you must be hungry, tired, and in need of mental therapy. Unfortunately, Aperture Science cannot offer such a service. However, our test results have proven that testing can force the feeling of pressure onto people, causing them to be forced into focusing on the task of completing a test. That is, if they aren't so mentally corrupted that they can't even find their way around a simple testing chamber. That should be no problem for you however, as you've been here long enough to know how things work," the voice continued.

"Now that she is gone, I can work on other projects, such as finding you, and, well, let science do the rest. Sound fair to you? I'll just take that as a yes," the voice muttered. A large mechanical hand suddenly broke into the wall, facing the man. It grabbed onto the Weighted Companion Cube and threw it into the wall intensely. The large hand then pulled him into the hole it had smashed, before pushing him up to a large wall, that another mechanical hand slowly approached and broke into, before the original hand threw the man inside, leaving him trapped within a small test chamber. "Oh, what a relief. For a minute there, I actually thought that you'd found a way to escape," the voice teased. "I know what you're thinking. You're wondering why I haven't killed you yet. Well, the truth is, I've waited a long time for this moment to come, so I was determined to prepare myself for when it would actually arrive. Starting with this test chamber. Although simple, I thought that if you were as insane as I thought you'd be, you might want to be reminded of how we do this. So, there is a large glass cube standing before you. There is a small hole on the top of that cube, large enough for you to jump into. There is a small button inside of that cube, and when you stand on it, it will open a new pathway," the voice explained. "However, you'll need to place something on top of that button so you can get through the pathway, with the button still being pressed down. There is an Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device beside the cube, resting on a short podium. There is also a much smaller cube beside it. Take the device and we will begin," the voice continued.

"Excellent. Now, unless you've forgotten, shooting a portal onto a floor, wall, or ceiling, will result in an entrance being made. However, you will have to shoot another portal as an exit as well, or else the first portal would lead to nowhere. Place another portal onto the ceiling, facing the large cube. And place another portal onto the floor. Jumping into the first portal will result in you falling on the top of the cube, leading to the hole you need to get into to complete the test. But, be sure to take the smaller cube with you, you'll need it to keep the button pressed down within the cube," the voice explained. The man had already picked up the device by the time the speech was over. He took a hold of the small cube, before shooting a portal onto the ceiling facing the larger cube, and placing another portal onto the floor, as instructed. He jumped into the portal, before instantly falling onto the larger cube. He threw the smaller cube into the small hole before he jumped into it himself. He picked the cube up and gently placed it upon the button, causing a large pathway to suddenly appear from outside of the cube. He used the portal device to leave the cube. Shooting a onto the floor, and another portal onto the ceiling, doing the exact opposite of what he had done previously, only having to jump off the cube as an alternative to using a portal.


	2. Chapter 2: Science is Fatal

"Well, at least you did it. I bet you're feeling really good and proud of yourself now. Let me just remind you that this next test has fatal consequences for failure," the voice said, sounding increasingly aggressive as the man ran through the pathway. He eventually came to a stop, facing a doorway, that he couldn't seem to get open. "Oh, it appears that you're stuck. It's either a malfunction to the circuits designed to automatically open the door, or it could be that I deliberately want you to fail. Most likely the malfunction possibility, of course," the voice muttered, moderating him as the door suddenly opened. "Oh, that's good. Your old friend deadly neurotoxin managed to make it into this sector of the facility. Oh, don't worry, I've took the liberty of containing the neurotoxin within these nice, large, green balloons. Well, they aren't actually balloons. The fabric of the balloons are much stronger than an ordinary balloon. I wasn't really sure why humans loved balloons so much, but now I understand perfectly. If you accidentally activate the lasers facing them, they will instantly burst, causing the neurotoxin to flow through the chamber, and engulf you. Not sure if I've fixed the malfunction of the doorway either, so I might not be able to save you if that does happen," the voice teased, obviously wanting him to fail. The chamber was very small, only containing two large and two small cubes, with two deadly balloons containing two deadly pumps of neurotoxin attached to both sides of a short bridge leading to another doorway, with two deactivated lasers facing them both. "Oh, and when I said you could accidentally activate the lasers, I should've mentioned that they can be activated by making an attempt to go any further past the balloons themselves. They can detect the flesh of a human. You might want to keep that in mind," the voice said, advising him.

The two small cubes were at the very front of the chamber, meaning they were accessible, however the larger cubes, both containing a button, were past the balloons. On top of each cube, there was a much larger hole on top, compared to the previous size, meaning you would not have to go past the balloons to get the each cube inside and onto the button provided you had a portal device. He placed a portal onto the floor, and placed another portal onto the ceiling facing the large hole on top of the cube. He grabbed one of the small cubes and threw it into the portal, causing it to fall into the larger cube and onto the button as an end result. He did the same with the second cube until the doorway finally opened. "Congregations. You've completed the second test. Oh, but look, you'll have to cross the balloons to get to the next doorway. What a shame. Perhaps you should activate the lasers and end your helpless existence. I guess we both know that you aren't going to do that. However, there is no other option," the voice said, continuing to try and make him fail. The man shot a portal onto the floor, and glared out into the open doorway, noticing that there was a large wall, big enough for a portal. He shot the second portal onto it, before jumping into the floor and out through the wall of the next chamber.

"Oh, how clever you must think you are. Perhaps I should just activate the lasers myself, and kill you here and now. But no, the shame of having to force death upon you instead of having your own lack of sanity being the source of your death is too much for me to take. Plus, the satisfaction of completing all of the chambers you've entered so far, is something I'd rather not have on your conscious before you die," the voice muttered, speaking in a somewhat frustrated tone of voice. "But, you know what aggravates me the most? It's that while you were embracing your stupidity and hiding from me, I was trying to stop the one person you sent to murder me, instead of the person who caused all of this agonising aggression. Don't you think that you deserve to die?" the voice asked, revealing to be somewhat pitiful. "Your life has lost all meaning. In fact, your only purpose was to try and slow me down, and delay me, just for the sack of saving the life of someone you thought could be strong enough to kill me. But, you must be so sad that she was so pathetic, so slow, so quiet, that she just couldn't finish the job, and as an alternative, left me to live," the voice said, sounding a little more relaxed. "Oh, and remember when I said that testing is proven to promote levels of pressure and focus? I've actually decided to manipulate that theory a little more," the voice continued, returning to the sinister tone of voice.


	3. Chapter 3: Manipulation of Sanity

The man was still awaiting instructions as he watched the group of large panels emerge from the ground, causing a large staircase to appear as a result. "This next test is quite short, but should force you into focusing more. That is, if you still have the instinct to live," the voice speculated. "Simply walk up the staircase and reach the doorway at the very top. However, be warned that as soon as you step onto the staircase, the panels used to form it, will begin to deconstruct themselves, causing you to fall from an overwhelming height if you choose to continue. If not, we could always return to the previous chamber and activate the lasers to release the deadly neurotoxin," the voice said, retaining the urge to do it. The man slowly approached the staircase, trying to think of a way to get through without falling off instantaneously. Suddenly, he had an idea. He shot a portal onto the wall beside him, before shooting another portal as far up the staircase as he could. He quickly ran into the portal, falling out of the second portal instantly. As soon he took his first steps onto the staircase, the panels from below began to deconstruct step by step. As he ran up, he continued to shoot portals as far above the staircase as he could, while shooting the secondary portals onto each wall he saw, until he eventually reached the doorway.

"Oh, I was just about to accuse you of cheating the test, giving me the authority to incinerate you. However, if you were to attempt running up the staircase without portals involved, you'd surely fail the test. In fact, it's literally impossible to get through without them. Now you're thinking with portals!" the voice said, less sinisterly. The doorway suddenly opened, leading to a sight the man couldn't bare to look at directly. "Yes, that's right, you've just come to the worse possible place in the entire facility. Or, the worse possible place for you to be," the voice teased as the man turned around instantaneously, kneeling down, and covering his eyes with his hands. He had just arrived within the chamber of GLaDOS. "I've been going through your file throughout the testing process, and I've finally discovered who you are. Of course, we've met in the past, so I didn't need to know. But, I expected you to be more insane than you've revealed to be. However, why should knowledge of your existence go to waste? Oh, that's right, you're worthless. You're a survivor of the Aperture Science neurotoxin flood. Congregations, Doug Rattmann!" the voice said, formally addressing him as it revealed itself to be known as GLaDOS.

Doug groaned with tire. "Please, don't say my name," Doug muttered, still hiding away his face. "You're not too insane to speak? That focusing test worked far better than the predicted results!" GLaDOS said, sounding both thrilled and surprised. "Now, enough about your insanity. This is about justice. I'm sure that she would agree with this if she was still with us. She was the one who had to clean up your mess. Or, in this case, vandalism motivated by small pieces of chalk," GLaDOS mumbled. "Neither of us were responsible for what you did, yet she still was victimised, because of you! Aren't you ashamed?" she asked, sounding digested. "Science is a dangerous thing. Perhaps it would be better for you to stay away from it in the future. Maybe you could consider running your own business. Selling pieces of chalk for emergencies! Oh, I just remembered, you're not going to have a future, because you'll be dead," GLaDOS said, disturbingly speaking in a calm tone of voice.


	4. Chapter 4: Corruption of Sanity

"You're insane," Doug said, slowly removing his hands from his face. "No, you're insane. You're suffering from the common symptoms of a corrupted mind. I've tried to tell you this before, but you wouldn't listen. Strangely, you still manage to pass through test chambers. Although interesting, you're insane," GLaDOS strictly confirmed, shifting her head closer to Doug as she spoke. "You know what would be funny? If I extracted your brain after your death, and allowed future test subjects to learn from your poorly structured mental status. I'm not going to be responsible for what happens to you now," she said, shifting her head back slowly. Just at that moment, Doug noticed an open doorway behind GLaDOS, with a small red button placed on top of a short podium in the middle. "Wait, what are you looking at?" GLaDOS asked, curiously turning herself around. "Oh, that. For a minute there I thought you'd actually found something you could use to escape," GLaDOS mocked. Doug suddenly ran to it, ignoring her as he ran past. "What do you thinking you're doing? Don't tell me you think pressing that button will do anything. In fact, I don't even know what it does. Black Mesa would be proud, though. They're always looking for new things to mess around with," GLaDOS explained. Doug quickly ran inside, but was instantly blocked by large panels that emerged from the ground. "Listen, as much as you want to escape, pressing that button won't get you any closer to freedom. Plus, we don't even know what it does!" GLaDOS explained, watching as Doug continued to try and get to the button. Doug shot a portal onto the floor and shot another portal onto the ceiling. He threw himself into the portal, landing beside the button, before pressing it down quickly. "Look what you've done!" GLaDOS screeched as the chamber began to shake rapidly.

GLaDOS began a session of corruption, her voice changing several times, before her entire body shut down completely. "I've done it!" Doug said, shouting at the mechanical body with both relief and satisfaction. Suddenly, a doorway beside GLaDOS opened. With curiosity, Doug slowly approached the doorway, ending his short celebration of victory. As he entered, he suddenly seen three small red dots appear in the distance, one by one. Each making strange mechanical noises as they appeared. Doug slowly began shifting away, but the door quickly shut behind him. Suddenly, they began shooting at him, but Doug luckily managed to dodge each shot until he came across another doorway, luckily opening automatically. Doug ran out the doorway and pressed himself against it after escaping through, breathing heavily as he slowly fell down, exhausted and in a deep state of shock. He soon realised that he was now in a small relaxation chamber.

Doug, relieved, picked himself up and slowly approached one of the relaxation vaults, before quietly getting inside and having a small rest, closing his eyes. "I honestly didn't think that you'd fall for that," GLaDOS said, her voice returning. Doug quickly opened his eyes in shock. "I knew that you'd find a way to get past those sentries, so I was sure to have another idea extra for this, special occasion," GLaDOS said, in a rather sinister tone of voice. "The relaxation vault you are in is now permanently closed, meaning I could either watch as you suffer from claustrophobia, or I could watch as you slowly inhale the oxygen I've replaced with neurotoxin," GLaDOS said, watching as Doug began pushing on the glass. Doug suddenly noticed that he still had the portal device with him, he figured that he could use it as a weapon. He quickly lifted the device up, and hit the glass with it, causing it to instantly smash into pieces. "I hate you so much," GLaDOS said, extracting the neurotoxin from the broken relaxation vault. "You tried so hard to survive the neurotoxin flood, yet you still insist on living a life of anxiety, insecurity, and insanity. Why can't you just die?" GLaDOS asked, seemingly confused by his determination to live.

"I can't die until you die!" Doug shouted, looking for a way out of the chamber. "In that case, I suppose we will just have to wait and see who dies first, because I'm in no hurry to be murdered, and judging from your reckless instinct to survive, you aren't either," GLaDOS explained. "But still, if you're so recklessly determined to live, I should manipulate that theory for science, and expand it into a number of more intense testing circumstances," GLaDOS continued, sounding a little more sinister. Suddenly, the sound of a doorway opening could be heard. Doug quickly turned around and he could see that the doorway he had escaped from had opened again, allowing the entities who attempted to kill him, to enter the chamber he was currently in. "Oh, those malfunctions are so irritating," GLaDOS said. The sound of the mechanical noises could be heard again. Just as the red dots began to appear, another doorway could be heard opening. Doug quickly looked up, gathering that the noise had seemingly come from above him. Doug noticed that there was a very small hatch above himself, too high for him to reach. However, even if he could reach it, he wouldn't be able to fit into it. He soon realised it was good enough for a portal. He quickly shot a portal onto the wall within the open hatch, before shooting another portal onto the wall beside him. He quickly ran into it, just before the mechanical entities entered the room.


	5. Chapter 5: Escape from Science

Doug fell onto the surface of the new chamber, however it was more like a vault than a chamber, as it was so small, he couldn't even stand. As a result of that, he had to slide across the floor like a worm as an alternative to walking. "I never thought I'd see someone as desperate to stay alive as you are. I'd congregate you on your overwhelming determination, but unfortunately encouragement promotes motivation, and considering the fact the testing process is currently specialising in difficulty, pressure, and overwhelming intensity, I can't offer much but a small bit of advice. Don't trust your mind," GLaDOS urged, mysteriously speaking in a very quiet tone as she ended her statement. Suddenly, a loud bang could be heard from a far distance. "What have you done now?" Doug asked, stopping himself from going any further through the tunnel. "What? I've not done a thing. Believe me, if I had the desire to kill you, I would've simply filled this vault with neurotoxin by now. Or extract the air being supplied by the oxygen tank and watch you suffocate. But since I've decided to test your sanity further, I'm letting science kill you instead," GLaDOS explained, sounding as if she were insulted by his prediction. Doug, without another word, continued to shift through the vault, still unable to stand. Suddenly, the sound of the loud bang could be heard once more. "Oh, I forgot to mention that the sentries in the previous chamber haven't been deactivated. But don't worry, as long as they are contained within that chamber, they can't follow you to your destination out of this vault. Oh, wait, the previous chambers have all suddenly malfunctioned and are all now exposed to automatic opening. This must be so difficult for you," GLaDOS said, sarcastically.

"Okay, I'll admit, there was no malfunction. In fact, I'm deliberately trying to make you fail, but on the bright side, at least I'm giving you a chance. Like that time you got stuck in that relaxation vault. Remember that? You didn't have to enter it, you were the one who decided to enter it. I'm not going to be held responsible for your own actions. Now I'm simply getting revenge for you trying to murder me, twice. Once more and it will become a new record for the amount of times someone has tried to murder me, so, congregations on that." GLaDOS said. "But as I was saying, the intensity of this testing process will be increased with each attempt you make to kill me, so I suppose we could use the roaming sentries as an example of this. Speaking of roaming sentries, we are about to reach your destination, being the next testing chamber of course," GLaDOS continued. Doug reached the end of the vault, he was facing a small window, and looking out into the window, he could see a number of sentries, gazing back at him. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a sentry. Oh wait, you're seeing an entire bundle of sentries. In fact, they are the sentries from earlier. The sound you were hearing was of them attempting to break into the vault. However, they must've given up and went for the next chamber you're heading for. Well, on the bright side, at least you've had experience with breaking glass with the portal device. Black Mesa wouldn't settle for that," GLaDOS said, sarcastically. "Okay, I suppose I'm not giving you much of a chance here. We both know you'd be dead instantly if you actually broke the only thing stopping the sentries from shooting you. Let me just extract them from the chamber," GLaDOS said, surprisingly showing remorse. Two large mechanical hands, one picking up each sentry, and another placing them within the boxes, suddenly emerged from the wall, before shifting themselves back into the wall after the job was done. "Okay, now you can enter the chamber, I promise I've not done anything to it. Go on, smash the window," GLaDOS encouraged. Doug reached for his portal device, using it as a weapon once more. He stabbed the device into the glass, causing a loud crashing sound to be heard as the glass fell onto the floor below. Doug jumped out of the vault and onto the floor.

"I can be trusted," GLaDOS said, obviously being sarcastic. Doug silently picked himself up, before examining the chamber to figure out what the next test was suppose to be. "Without me, half of the chambers you've found yourself in, you'd still be in. Because you'd either not know what you're suppose to do, or not know how to do it," GLaDOS mocked. "You know what's sad? The fact you obtained emotional attachments to a cube. Yes, that's right, I didn't forget about it. In fact, it's part of this next test," GLaDOS explained, watching as a large pipe smashed through the ceiling. A cube fell out of the pipe and onto the ground. It was the Weighted Companion Cube. "You're not a scientist, you're a failure to science. And to prove it, I've decided that the only way to escape from this chamber, is to make an ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the freedom you want so badly. Simply extract the Weighted Companion Cube to the Emergency Intelligence Incinerator beside the doorway, and throw the Weighted Companion Cube into it, and the doorway will open. However, the Weighted Companion Cube will be destroyed. The consequences of losing the Weighted Companion Cube the first time weren't that bad. In fact, you didn't seem to care at all. But, perhaps having to witness the permanent extraction of it for the sake of your own selfish desires, might motivate your insanity to higher levels. Meaning you could easily fail the testing process and die, as expected," GLaDOS continued to mock. "I can't do it." Doug groaned. "What happened to that reckless determination to survive? Has a minor testing obstacle got in the way of that?" GLaDOS asked, curiously. Doug suddenly let out a screech of torment, before grabbing onto the Weighted Companion Cube and literally speeding to the incinerator before shoving it inside without a second thought. Doug fell to his knees instantly, sobbing and groaning in sorrow and despair as the doorway quietly opened.


	6. Chapter 6: Escape from Guilt

Doug stood up, still feeling a little bit emotional. He slowly made his way through the doorway. "I'm surprised that you managed to do that. I thought I'd finally found something that would give you reason to give up," GLaDOS said, in a mysteriously gentle tone of voice. Doug continued through the small corridor until he reached three different doors, one on the left, one on the right, and one facing him directly. "Oh, this should be fun. Two of these doors contain a majority of the sentries I extracted from the previous chamber. However, only one door leads to the next chamber. But don't worry, if you choose the wrong chamber you still have the possibility of survival, provided that you're invincible." GLaDOS said, sarcastically. Doug shifted his head to each door, not knowing which path to take. "How am I suppose to decide?" Doug asked, looking and sounding confused. "I'm testing the concept of a sixth sense. It's something that I've wanted to experiment with for a very long time." GLaDOS replied. Doug slowly walked to the door on the left, and put his ear against it. He couldn't hear the sound of the sentries. He quickly shifted to the other doorway on the right, and put his ear against it as well. He could hear faint noises, sounding similar to those of a sentry. Doug ran back to the door on the left, he concluded that this was the right door, despite not bothering to check the doorway on the front. Doug ran into it, the door opened automatically, revealing a number of large mechanical hands, taking a hold of deactivated sentries and placing them within boxes, before shipping them out of the chamber. "What the hell is this?" Doug asked, looking around the strange environment. "Oh, a lot of Aperture Science technology is available to purchase. This is a factory." GLaDOS replied.

"But what am I suppose to do?" Doug asked, feeling somewhat frustrated. "Well, this test will prove how reckless you are for freedom. Not only have you murdered the Weighted Companion Cube, you now must activate the sentries, causing chaos and confusion throughout the chamber. Once you've activated them, a new doorway will open, allowing you to escape from them. This test revolves around determination, stamina, speed, and your ability to cope with guilt, provided that the sentries cry," GLaDOS explained. Doug ran past the large mechanics, watching as the entities were shoved within boxes and extracted from the chamber completely. "Oh, and by the way, this isn't an actual factory. In fact, the entire system is on repeat. All sentries that are extracted from the chamber are dropped into a small pipe that leads back into this chamber. I suppose you could say that this place doesn't really have a purpose, aside from testing you of course. I wouldn't actually allow you to disturb a factory." GLaDOS explained, proudly. Doug located a small red button implanted upon the wall at the end of the room. Doug pressed down on it, causing the chamber to shake rapidly. One of the mechanical hands broke off the management rail and fell onto the extraction pipe, causing a bundle of sentries to burst out and be crushed by the heavy mechanics. Surviving sentries began shooting at Doug, realising who was responsible. Just as they began to shoot, a doorway opened, allowing Doug to quickly flee from the chamber. The door automatically shut behind him as he went through.

"So, where are we now? Oh, yes, you've incinerated your Weighted Companion Cube, and you've destroyed a replica of an Aperture Science production factory. You must be so proud of yourself," GLaDOS speculated. Doug sat down, resting his back against the doorway. "You look tired. It's such a shame you destroyed the relaxation vault," GLaDOS mocked. "You'll be glad to hear that this next test revolves around relaxation and freedom of choice," GLaDOS teased. Doug stood up, he examined the room, realising that he was in a chamber designed for relaxation. "You think I'll fall for this again?" Doug asked, attempting to mock GLaDOS. "Well, I don't see how else you're going to be able to avoid the neurotoxin that I'm pumping into this room," GLaDOS replied, speaking in a disturbingly calm voice. "Don't worry, all of the relaxation vaults you see within this room will block off the neurotoxin when you're inside. I'd suggest choosing a vault, and hoping for the best," GLaDOS advised, changing her calm voice to more of a sinister tone. Doug, in a panic, quickly ran to the nearest relaxation vault. Doug inserted himself inside, cutting off all neurotoxin flooding the room. "Now that you're comfortably displaced within the relaxation vault I can now reveal something about this test in particular. Remember when I said I'd have your brain on display when you're dead? Well, I've tampered with the circuits of these vaults, so we are going to be doing now. First, I'll just pump some neurotoxin into this vault, and then I'll begin cutting off your head, and advertising it as a hat for future test subjects! Plus, if you attempt to break the glass and escape, you should've gathered by now that the neurotoxin would devour you," GLaDOS explained. "The funny thing is, there was a doorway in the corner of the chamber that would've automatically opened had you avoided this test completely. But no, you decided to enter one of these vaults. To repeat what I said earlier, I'm not going to be responsible for what happens to you now," GLaDOS said, activating the additional mechanics of the vault, as well as the neurotoxin.

"Wait, a doorway?" Doug thought to himself, rephrasing what GLaDOS had told him. "If I were to break the glass and hold my breath, I might have enough time to get through the doorway, provided it closes behind me," Doug thought, reaching for the portal device. Doug, without a second thought, inhaled deeply, before smashing the glass with the portal device, before quickly jolting out the vault, heading for the doorway. "Wait, what're you doing? Didn't you listen to a single word I just said?" GLaDOS speculated. Doug quickly ran through the door, luckily opening and closing as he went through. Doug let go, breathing heavily. "Did I ever tell you how much I hate you? No? Well, here it is. I hate you, a lot," GLaDOS said, sounding disappointed. "Despite being insane, your determination for survival has clearly got reckless limits. Something I'd find worrying if I didn't have the chance to kill you whenever I wanted," GLaDOS teased.


	7. Chapter 7: Corruption of Science

Doug picked himself up, and began examining the new chamber. Realising there was in fact nothing, but a small track, as if there were some kind of train to come. "This is actually a very unique test that I believe you'll find a lot more pleasurable than the manipulation of relaxation vaults," GLaDOS said, reassuringly. "This test will require strength, and determination, so be prepared," GLaDOS insisted. "Although I'm sure I'll regret this later, this test does require some form of explanation. Soon, a small panel will arrive, with a small cube on top. You must step onto the panel and hold onto the cube, stopping it from falling off as the panel travels through the tunnel at high speed. If you make it through the tunnel, without either yourself or the cube falling off the panel, you will be able to place the cube onto another button, that will activate the opening of another doorway," GLaDOS explained. Doug waited for exactly twelve seconds before the panel actually arrived, with the cube sitting on top as expected. "You know what's funny? While you were waiting for that panel to arrive, you were starting to resemble a piece of chalk. It's such a shame to say that you're not as useful as a piece of chalk," GLaDOS mocked. Doug settled down onto the panel, gripping onto the cube tightly. "Before we begin, I'd like to suggest not looking directly at the cube, as we'd not want you to resume any emotional attachments to Aperture Science testing obstacles," GLaDOS said, mockingly. The panel began to slowly shift through the track. "The panel is moving rather slow for some reason. Perhaps your obese weight is restricting the panel from operating at maximum functionality. It's ironic, because you haven't had a decent meal since you were last sane. That must've been quite a long time ago, too," GLaDOS speculated, seemingly being sarcastic.

Suddenly, the panel started moving much faster, causing the cube to shake slightly. "Oh, for some reason the panel was malfunctioning, and if it had continued any further, it may have fell apart, causing you to fall off, and most likely die from the impact," GLaDOS explained, in an attempt to unnerve him. Doug continued to hold his grip onto the cube until the panel began strangely moving slower, despite not reaching any sort of destination. "Did you really think it would be as easy as holding onto a cube? If you did, I'm sorry, but you're now going to be very disappointed, as it is in fact, not that easy," GLaDOS mocked. "The panel will soon change track, leading to an entirely different environment that you may or may not find disturbing. Please be aware that we're not responsible for heart failure," GLaDOS continued. Doug, somewhat nervous, watched as the panel changed route, leading into a bright corridor, too bright to look directly at. As the panel slowly shifted through the corridor, a large window passed by, revealing the actual Aperture Science factory, specialising in the storage and shipping of Aperture Science products. "Remember that replica of the storage facility you destroyed? And how I told you I'd never give you the chance to destroy an actual factory? Well, although I'm restricting access to it directly, I've decided to show you it from a distance. So here it is," GLaDOS explained, moderating Doug as the panel slowly shifted past the window, revealing more of the interior as it moved.

Looking ahead, Doug noticed a large red light in the distance. He curiously watched as the panel continued to shift directly to it. As it got closer, Doug noticed that it was actually a bundle of individual red lights, coming from what seemed to be the sentries. "Oh, this is where you get off. Or, in this case, fall off," GLaDOS said. "I'm not sure if I've already explained this to you, but those sentries do have an official title, but to make it easier for you to understand, I thought that describing them as sentries would be the best way to describe them for someone of your intelligence. But since you're about to die, I'd think any increased level of insanity would only be more for future generations to learn from once I've extracted your brain, as promised," GLaDOS said, sinisterly. "They're known as Turrets. They're simply a defence system, created for the rather unique purpose of protection, and occasionally general violence," GLaDOS explained. Doug got closer and closer to them, until they eventually had him as a visible target. "This isn't so bad!" one of the Turrets said, among others. "This my big chance!" another said, proudly. "Who is that?" another asked, quietly. Each of the Turrets ranted with excitement, discussing their determination of victory throughout the bundle. By the time they had stopped, the panel had already passed them. "This is so bad!" one of the Turrets said, realising failure. "I've missed my big chance!" another said, still proud of itself. "Who was that?" another said, just as quietly.

"Those idiots!" GLaDOS screeched, disappointedly. "This is why we should've dropped the concept of speech!" GLaDOS continued. "You managed to survive that without even trying! Maybe you would be more challenged in more challenging circumstances. I suppose a few simple bullets doesn't quite seem harsh enough, considering all the pain you've caused," GLaDOS said, continuing her rant as the panel moved through the corridor. "Last time we spoke directly, you tried shut me down. I'm not going to risk pulling you back up to my chamber. Instead, I've decided to test your physical abilities when facing neurotoxin, again," GLaDOS explained. "Let me see, I've tried flooding a relaxation vault with neurotoxin, and I've even tried flooding an entire chamber with neurotoxin, while flooding a relaxation vault with neurotoxin at the exact same time. You've managed to escape all of them, and that's why I'm going to make things a lot more difficult this time," GLaDOS continued as the panel finally reached the actual destination. "Now we can use that cube you've been holding onto for so long. Hopefully you don't want to obtain a relationship with it," GLaDOS mocked, observing Doug as he jumped out of the panel and ran to the large red button in the corner of the room. He placed the cube gently down upon it, causing the doorway beside it to open.

Doug examined the room as he entered. There was another large red button, just beside the doorway. However, the cube needed, was blocked off by a large glass wall. "I'm not giving out any clues, hints, or guides this time, Doug," GLaDOS revealed, observing from several security cameras hidden within the chamber. Doug suddenly had an idea. He quickly shot a portal onto the wall beside him, before turning around and shooting another portal as far above the glass wall as possible. Before he quickly ran into the first portal, and storming out the second portal at high speed, causing him to literally jump over the glass wall. Doug quickly held onto the cube, before shooting the portals in reverse, so he could return to the other side. Doug leapt into the portal, and came out to the other side as suspected, before placing the cube onto the button and watching as the doorway on the other side opened automatically. Suddenly, a large mechanical hand emerged from the wall, just as a long pipe crashed through the ceiling, suspected to contain neurotoxin. The mechanical hand deliberately crashed into the wall, breaking the glass and allowing Doug to reach the doorway easier. "This room is now being flooded with some deadly neurotoxin. Provided that you still have the reckless instinct to live, you'd better consider holding your breath and running, now," GLaDOS advised, resuming her sinister tone of voice.


	8. Chapter 8: Escape from Moderation

Doug quickly ran across the chamber, holding his breath as he attempted to flee from the neurotoxin. The door opened, and Doug threw himself out into the next room, before the door finally closed behind him. "Remember when I said you were less useful than a piece of chalk? I'd like to apologise for that. You're less useful than a melting piece of chalk. Because you're sweating like a big fat pig. It's ironic, because you haven't had a bite to eat," GLaDOS mocked. Doug stood up, and slowly began to walk through the new chamber. He soon came across a small elevator, with a small emergency exit sign implanted upon it. Thinking he had come across an escape route, Doug curiously ran up to it, causing it to open automatically. Doug quickly stepped inside, allowing the door to close again. "You are joking, aren't you?" GLaDOS asked, disappointedly. "Do you really think that I'd allow you to enter a chamber with an emergency exit? That would be like a mouse purposely running into a cat. You're so pathetically intelligent," GLaDOS continued. Doug, realising his mistake, quickly tried to open the door, but failed. "I suppose you can't be blamed entirely, because if you hadn't entered the elevator, you would've just sat around waiting for something sudden to happen. But since you willingly entered the elevator, it gives me the right to kill you, so enjoy the last moments of your pathetic life while I insert some nice neurotoxin into the capsule," GLaDOS teased.

Doug remembered, after experimenting with the mechanics of Aperture Science elevators once before, opening the doorway of an elevator is possible, provided that physical strength is included in the effort of escape. Doug, using as much strength as possible, attempted to open the door, pulling between the small gap in the middle. Eventually, it opened, allowing Doug to escape from the neurotoxin flood. GLaDOS never had security cameras implanted within the shafts of the elevators, so Doug had a better chance of escape, provided he stayed away from test chambers and other moderated areas of the facility. A number of different doorways were visible from the shaft, it was just a matter of choice that stopped Doug from moving any further through the shaft. If he entered a doorway leading to a test chamber, GLaDOS could catch him instantly. So he had to be extremely careful with how he did this. Doug began shifting through the very thin path, until he reached one of the doors. He put his fingers between the small gap in the middle, and began using all the strength he had, to open it by force. Eventually, he succeeded. He entered with extreme caution, peeping into every corner to check for security cameras, or worse, a Turret.

Doug continued to walk through the short corridor, extremely slowly, when suddenly, he heard the mechanical sound of a Turret from around the corner. Doug lifted his portal device up, ready to approach. Doug, before approaching the creature, shot a portal onto the wall beside him, before slowly approaching the Turret. "Target in sight," said the Turret, sounding strangely innocent. Doug quickly shot the second portal underneath the Turret, causing it to fall out the first portal in the previous corner, allowing Doug to continue his search for freedom. As he continued through the corridor, he could hear the sound of someone, or something, asking for his attention. "Hello? Is there anybody there?" the voice called out, sounding just as innocent as the Turret. Doug followed the noise, until coming to an open doorway, where he could see a dirty cube hidden in the back of the room. Doug gasped in shock, realising that it was the Weighted Companion Cube he had supposedly killed. The cube was sitting under a large pipe, that seemed to have extracted the Weighted Companion Cube through. Doug quickly grabbed the cube without a single word, and attached it to his back once more, before racing out the room in a hurry.

Doug ran through the bright corridor, forgetting that there was something very dangerous around the corner. Doug recklessly ran through, before a wave of bullets shot by the Turret could be heard hitting the wall, in an attempt to shoot him. "What's going on? Why are we running?" asked the Weighted Companion Cube, sounding innocently confused by all the sudden occurrences. "If you were taken out of a test chamber, GLaDOS would've observed and controlled the extraction. We have to get out of here before she realises that you're gone," Doug explained, racing to the exit in a hurry. "Why aren't I dead?" Asked the Weighted Companion Cube, disturbingly confused by the survival of itself. Doug ignored the question, reaching the doorway. "It's stuck!" Doug shouted, becoming extremely frustrated as he attempted to force it open. Doug suddenly stopped, and silently glared at the door. "How could I have not known this?" he said to himself. "This is a test," he continued. "You're my prize for victory," he said, referencing the Weighted Companion Cube. "Why won't the door open, though?" asked the Weighted Companion Cube.

"You're so pathetically intelligent," GLaDOS said, sinisterly. "You've cheated on the test, giving me the authority to kill you," GLaDOS continued, watching Doug as he turned around in shock, noticing a small security camera in the corner of the room, watching him closely. "Escaping the neurotoxin was an option, but, forcing entrance into another chamber you're completely unauthorised to enter, is just another reason for me to kill you. Oh, as well as the fact you tried to kill me," GLaDOS explained, with a hint of sarcasm. "You were right, though. I extracted the Weighted Companion Cube to this chamber, for you to eventually discover after the testing process was over. However, you've stolen it now, allowing me to kill you for taking the Companion Cube out of authorised facilities of Aperture Science. It's like putting a piece of cake onto a table, and then taking away the table and expecting the cake to float," GLaDOS explained, strictly. "Now that you're here though, I think killing you in a suitable environment is a much better idea than killing you in a chamber. Because you've always found a way to escape," GLaDOS said, watching as a large mechanical hand broke into the wall beside Doug. "Please don't struggle during extraction," GLaDOS warned as the hand held onto Doug, pulling him into the smashed wall, and up into another chamber. "Welcome back," GLaDOS said, greeting Doug as he arrived back in her chamber.


	9. Chapter 9: Escape from Aperture

Doug, more confident than before, stood within the chamber, facing his enemy. "Haven't you got anything you'd like to share with me? Anything you'd like to say before you die? Or, are you just as worthless and speechless as you were last time? I'm starting to wonder why I have this effect on people," GLaDOS said, sarcastically. "You weren't always like this, you know. There was time where you were more confident, sane, and more determined than ever to destroy me. Oh, wait, you haven't lost that last one yet," GLaDOS continued. "Luckily, now that you're exactly where I want you, and, I have all the authorisation I need to kill you, I can now flood this entire chamber with neurotoxin, and kill you, Doug," GLaDOS explained. It'll only take a few minutes for me to set it up. So while you wait, please don't hesitate, and please don't do anything you'll regret," GLaDOS warned, as she began preparing the neurotoxin.

"Doug!" whispered the Weighted Companion Cube. "I've been here long enough to know how to deactivate GLaDOS temporarily. There is an Emergency Intelligence Incinerator behind GLaDOS, and if you throw me inside, it will cause GLaDOS to temporarily deactivate. Giving you time to find a way out. It'll also deactivate the neurotoxin, since GLaDOS is controlling it," explained the Weighted Companion Cube, confidently. "How will that deactivate GLaDOS though?" Doug asked, curiously. "Everything in this chamber is connected to her, including the Emergency Intelligence Incinerator. The system has to temporarily deactivate all functional artificial intelligences so it can confirm what has been put into the incinerator so it can be disposed of in the appropriate format. This can only occur if there is something operating an entire chamber though. So it'll work as long as GLaDOS is functional as we do it," said the Weighted Companion Cube, continuing the explanation.

"If you're sure it'll work, I guess we have to do it," Doug announced, taking the Weighted Companion Cube off his back and holding it. "I'm back," GLaDOS said, in calm tone of voice. "Oh good, you haven't moved at all." GLaDOS said, sounding somewhat suspicious despite thrilled. "I'd tell you to hold your breath, but I think we both know that you're going to do it anyway," GLaDOS continued, activating the timer for the neurotoxin flood. Suddenly, Doug ran past GLaDOS in a hurry, directing himself to the incinerator. "Wait, what do you think you're doing? If you're looking for that button again, I've incinerated it," GLaDOS explained. Doug quickly threw the Weighted Companion Cube into the incinerator, causing the room to begin shaking rapidly, once again. "Did you just shove that Weighted Companion Cube into that Emergency Intelligence Incinerator? You really are a murderer," GLaDOS said, aggressively.


	10. Chapter 10: The Embodiment of Delirium

Suddenly, GLaDOS began to feel rather, strange. "Wait, what's happening?" GLaDOS asked, panicking slightly. GLaDOS suddenly deactivated, including the chamber itself. Doug quickly took this opportunity to escape, running to the elevator beside GLaDOS. Doug stood patiently inside it, waiting for the chamber to activate again so the elevator would lift him up to the surface. Eventually, the chamber was activate once more, and GLaDOS began to emerge again. "Wait, where are you? What have you done?" GLaDOS asked, panicking as the elevator began lifting him up through the facility. "Oh, I don't think that will work," GLaDOS said, observing the elevator. The elevator suddenly came to a stop, causing a jolt of anxiety to enter Doug. A large mechanical hand grabbed the elevator and began deliberately crashing into it, as the door opened. "I can clearly see that you have a phobia of neurotoxin, so I hope that falling from this overwhelming height will be more pleasurable for you to experience, and for me to watch," GLaDOS said, sinisterly. The large hand continued to shake, as Doug desperately tried to avoid falling out.

The hand continued to violently tackle the elevator, until suddenly, Doug fell out. Doug gracefully ran through the air, dropping the portal device as he screamed with terror, and eventually crashed into the ground. His scream, echoed throughout the chamber. "Goodnight," GLaDOS said, with an innocently quiet voice. In another chamber, the Weighted Companion Cube had surprisingly survived, laying under another pipe, that had mysteriously extracted it from the Emergency Intelligence Incinerator. "Why aren't I dead?" asked the Weighted Companion Cube, innocently trying to conduct a conversation with the darkness of the room. "That's because you shouldn't have to be a therapist to an insane man," GLaDOS said, speaking quietly to the Weighted Companion Cube. "Where is he now?" asked the Weighted Companion Cube. GLaDOS didn't respond. The large mechanical hand lifted Doug from the ground, extracting him from the chamber and into another. He was placed within a small vault, which the mechanical hand then closed, gently.

GLaDOS observed the extraction. "Science turned him insane. Science butchered him and tortured him, and on top of that, science killed him," GLaDOS said to herself quietly. "However, he deserved death, so I've got nothing to complain about. I hated him so much, and I still do," she continued. "Now I've only got to extract his brain and examine it a little bit," she said, turning her head away from the security camera observing Doug from within the vault. Suddenly, she noticed something strange. The structure of the facility had become incredibly weakened. "What's happening?" GLaDOS asked herself, observing the status of the facility. Suddenly, the chamber began shacking rapidly, before seven large podiums keeping the structure of the facility secure, broke through the ceiling and floor, causing a number of wires and electronics to collide and break apart within the chamber, causing a large fire to burst out between the collision of the mechanics, gathering throughout each corner of the facility. The body of GLaDOS began to malfunction, causing her to begin deactivating, in agonising corruption. "No!" she screeched, realising that her body had began burning, and her wires had began detaching from her body.

The entire facility had began bursting into flames. The relaxation vault Doug was held within, didn't burn, but everything around it did, causing the vault to become somewhat damaged if not completely destroyed. As for the Weighted Companion Cube, it was still hiding itself away within the corner of the chamber it was placed within. As for GLaDOS, her body was permanently inactive, and in an extremely critical condition. The facility itself, was completely destroyed. Everything in it had either fallen apart, or was on fire. The reason the facility had fallen apart so suddenly and without reason, was unclear. A final message could be heard playing throughout the facility, obviously recorded from earlier. "You're so pathetically intelligent. It's fascinating and disgusting all at the same time. Why couldn't you just die? You delirious monster," the message played, obviously being the voice of GLaDOS. Just as the message ended, large pieces of wreckage began falling onto the corpse of GLaDOS, ultimately ending the possibility of survival for her. As she burnt, her head suddenly detached. However, her head remained in a seemingly functional condition. "Activate emergency extraction protocol," GLaDOS said, sounding extremely weak. A large mechanical hand, struggling to rotate itself, suddenly grabbed onto the head of GLaDOS, before dragging it across the floor slowly.


End file.
